Impetigo

What Is Impetigo?

This highly contagious skin condition is relatively easy to treat.

Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial skin infection typified by red sores; it mainly affects young children from two to six in age.

The first sign of the infection is blisters that appear on the face, especially around a child's nose and mouth. As impetigo progresses, the sores burst and develop honey-colored or yellowish brown scabs.

Though impetigo may look scary, especially to worried parents, it is easily treatable and not usually painful.

Causes of Impetigo

The most common form of impetigo is caused by a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus, a type of staph infection. It may also be caused by Strep bacteria, especially Streptococcus group A bacteria. Both forms are highly contagious.

Your child may contract impetigo after coming in contact with another person who has an active infection. It is easily passed through skin-to-skin contact, nasal secretions, or by sharing toys, bed linens, or towels.

In adults, impetigo may occur along with other skin problems, including eczema, or after an upper respiratory tract infection.

The condition is more common in the summer months and in warm, humid climates. Crowded areas, such as a child care center, can also hasten the spread of impetigo. If your children play contact sports that require skin-to-skin contact, like football or wrestling, they may be at higher risk.

Symptoms of Impetigo

About four to 10 days after contact with an infected person, red bumps will appear around your or your child’s nose and mouth. These turn into blisters that can spread all over the body through clothing or by rubbing and touching the sores. The sores burst after a few days, and then ooze before scabbing over with a yellowish-brown crust.

Impetigo does not usually cause a fever, pain, or loss of appetite. If your child is experiencing these symptoms, you should discuss them with your pediatrician.

What Is Bullous Impetigo?

Bullous impetigo, a less common form of the infection, causes larger blisters that occur on the chest, belly, back, or buttocks of infants and young children. The scabs the blisters leave are usually brownish in color.

In adults, a bullous impetigo infection can be a sign of an HIV infection. If you think you may be at risk, speak with your doctor.

Complications of Impetigo

Impetigo usually clears within days of treatment and is not life-threatening, but complications can occasionally occur. These include:

Scarring: If the sores are very substantial or if your child picks at them, scarring may result.

Cellulitis: This infection affects the tissues under your skin and may spread to your lymph nodes and into the bloodstream. Without treatment, cellulitis can become life-threatening.

How is Impetigo Diagnosed?

Your pediatrician or family doctor can usually identify an impetigo infection by examining the look and location of the sores.

If there is any ambiguity, your doctor may want to examine a sample of the pus to confirm the presence of bacteria.

Treatment for Impetigo

Though impetigo usually goes away on its own in two to three weeks, treatment with topical and/or oral antibiotics will speed the healing and prevent spreading the infection to others.

Less-severe cases should respond quickly to a topical antibacterial ointment or cream, while those with more widespread or advanced sores may need to take an oral antibiotic as well.

The symptoms of impetigo should start clearing about three days after antibiotic treatment has begun.

Prevention of Impetigo

Impetigo is highly contagious, so you must be very vigilant after your child comes into contact with an infected person or objects that an infected person may have touched.

The most important thing you can do to prevent an impetigo infection is to have your child wash his or her hands with warm soapy water immediately after contact with someone who has the infection.

If you don’t have access to a sink, try anti-bacterial gel.

Always wash any cuts, scrapes or insect bites that your child has immediately. Cover with a bandage until it heals.

If you or your child has impetigo, to prevent it spreading further:

Cover the sores with clothing or loose bandages so he or she cannot touch or scratch the scabs. The infection is easily spread through touch and can spread to a non-infected part of the body or to any objects that are subsequently touched.

Wash clothing, towels, and sheets in hot water and dry on a high-heat setting.

Keep your child home from school or child care for 24 to 48 hours after starting him or her on antibiotic treatment to prevent spreading impetigo to other children.

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